I hadn’t anticipated writing a Chair’s update until 100 days into the year however so much has already happened and is on the horizon that I felt it couldn’t wait until then. So here comes the first Chair’s update of the 2022/23 year.

Reflections on the first month

What a month we have had! Firstly, it was incredible to see 70+ Stags and supporters marching for London Pride. I think we can safely say that we represented the Stags in style. The energy and buzz that everyone was giving off was incredible and it was a privilege to officially take over the baton from Josh and lead our Club in the march.
This was followed by Touch my Brum. Again, it was brilliant to see so many Stags at the event. We entered four teams and had a great mix of results, including the Stags winning their first piece of silverware! Thank you to all who took part and contributed to the organising of the tour. As a reminder, there are still a number of individuals who have not paid in full for one or more of their meal, vest and Stags accommodation. Frank Du, the new Club Treasurer has been reaching out to chase for remaining funds – please can remaining funds be sent to the Stags ASAP.
At Pride 7s, it was brilliant to get two teams out consisting of a mix of experienced and newer players. You all did us proud representing the Stags on our home turf. We held our own against some tough opponents and we can all be incredibly proud. Again, thank you to everyone who supported in organising the day and who helped out on the day.
And finally, a massive congratulations to our team who represented us at the Hunger Gaymes, bringing home the winning trophy!

RFU Trans Inclusion Policy

As I’m sure you are aware, the RFU Council voted in favour of a new Gender Participation Policy. The Policy bans trans women from participating in rugby at all levels and puts new requirements on trans men for them to participate. We are working with the IGR and other clubs on next steps and will share more details with you in due course. I want to re-iterate that we as a Club are completely opposed to the Policy and its implications and stand by our trans brothers, sisters and siblings.

Membership Renewals

In line with our membership year, all memberships for 2021/22 will lapse on the 31st July 2022. Membership renewals are now available to purchase through Pitchero. As a reminder, following a vote at our AGM, membership for the 2022/23 season will be priced at £75 for full playing and training membership and £40 for supporter membership. As always, there are payment plans / discounts for bona fide students available. Please contact Frank as Club Treasurer or another member of the Executive Committee (EC) if you would like to discuss.

Social and Events EC Role – Applications

Following the Club’s AGM and EGM, there is one post still vacant on the EC for Social and Events. We are again inviting applications for this role. In line with Clauses 8.5 and 8.6 of the Club Constitution, the EC will assess applications and directly appoint an individual to this role. We will not hold an EGM to elect for this role. Please keep an eye out for updates on the application process.

Officer Roles – Applications

In addition to the EC, each year the Club appoints officers. These are at the discretion of the EC based on the needs of the Club and are directly appointed following an application process. At the end of the year in which the officers serve, their tenure automatically ceases. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the officers who supported the EC during the 2021/22 year.
This year, we are looking for individuals for the following officer roles:
- Communications Officer
- Membership Officer
- Welfare and Inclusion Officer
- Assistant Team Manager
- Partnerships Officer
Job descriptions and information regarding the application process will be communicated via Pitchero in the coming days and will include the member of the EC that the role will report into. Please contact the relevant member of the EC if you would like more information.

Summer Training Schedule

June and July have been very busy months for us as a Club, coming straight off the back of the Union season finishing and the touch season kicking off. We recognise the impact this has on everyone and have taken action in our summer training schedule to ensure that we all get the break we need ahead of the Union season in September whilst ensuring we continue to train for the ongoing touch season.

Please check Pitchero for all the latest dates.

Pitchero

You have may have noticed a few more notifications coming through from Pitchero lately. This season we will be fully leaning into using this as our primary way to give updates on league games and tournaments.
Please make sure you set availability as the games come up. You’ll also get reminders in your email and on the app. Even if you can’t attend, please set your availability as ‘No’ so we get an idea of numbers. We’ll be looking to get team selections out a full week prior to any game so you have plenty of time to arrange any travel and to help reduce costs.
In addition to games, we’ll also be posting all training sessions, replacing the Google Forms you are asked to fill out, so if you are attending training please let us know on the app.

Annual Club Awards

As is tradition, our annual Club Awards night for the 2021/22 season will be taking place. The night is later than usual this year as the touch season does not finish until mid-September. The night is an opportunity to come together and celebrate the achievements of the season. This year, the awards will be held on Saturday 24th September at the Clubhouse. Please save the date and more details will be announced in due course, including details on how to vote for certain awards.
As you can see, there is lots coming up for us to look forward and I’m really excited for the next few months! As always, the EC are available if you would like to discuss anything or if you have any suggestions on what we as a Club can be doing.

Thanks for reading!

Joffers / James Ledward
Chairperson – The London Stags